Storage building



Nov. 18, 1952 L. A. WlLKlN STORAGE BUILDING 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Aug.2, 1951 FIG. 4

FIG. I

INVENTOR. Jam 6 0m Nov. 18, 1952 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. 1mm 3 0% Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STORAGE BUILDING Lester A. Wilkin, East Chicago, Ind.,-assignor toGraver Tank & Mfg. 00., Inc., East Chicago, Ind., a corporation ofDelaware Application August 2, 1951, Serial No. 239,962

6 Claims. (01. 22020) This invention relates to tanks, bins and similarstorage buildings, generally constructed of metal, such as steel, forthe storage of a variety of liquids and other materials. The inventionrelates particularly to a partition bulkhead for such a storagebuilding, forming two or more compartments therein which are fully orpartly separated from one another for the individual storage of morethan one type of materials. The invention provides a new and improvedconstruction for such a bulkhead and cooperating parts, making theentire structure either cheaper or stronger or both.

In the new construction both the side walls of the building and thebulkhead walls are usually curved; preferably lying in verticalcylindrical planes. Horizontal reenforcement members are longitudinallysecured to concave wall areas, both of the side walls and partitionwalls. These members lie in a plurality of superposed horizontal planes.In each plane, the reenforcements are substantially coextensive with theside walls and partition walls, and they are so interconnectedbysuitable tie members as to form a truss, thereby enabling any one ormore compartments formed by the bulkhead to withstand the interior andexterior pressures and mechanical stresses to be expected in theoperation of the compartmented storage tank. Special joints arepreferably used between the tie members, reenforcment members and curvedwalls, providing high strength while requiring low amounts of materialand labor.

Many reenforcingrstructures for tank shells or bulkheads are known tothe art. when I applied such earlier structures for purposes asindicated herein, the idea of the present structure occurred to me and Ifound, on actual test, that the new structure provides a surprisinglylarge increase in strength, when held to equal cost. In addition I foundthat the new structure compares favorably with most of the earlierstructures as to simplicity of fabrication, erection, and utilizationof, the storage building. These and other advantages Will appear moreclearly from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment whichfollows.

In the drawing, Figure l is the general front elevation of a gasolinestorage tank the inside of which can be partitioned in accordanceherewith. Figure 2 is a horizontal section along lines 2-2. Figure 3 isa perspective view, on a large scale, of a sectional detail cut offalong lines 22 at the top and along lines 3-3 in front. Figure 4 is afront View of a sectional detail out off along lines 2 2-2 at the bottomand along lines 4-4 in front. Figure 5 is a plan view of the detail ofFi ure {1.

The tank It) has a fiat-bottom II, a vertical, cylindrical shell or sidewall 12 and a flat, conical roof [3, supported by suitable rafters l4and partition means l5. A vertically corrugated partition or bulkhead Itextends across the tank and separates two compartments, of equal sizeand form, from one another. Each compartment may have gasoline or othermaterial supplied to it, and removed therefrom, by suitable inlet andoutlet means (not shown).

The bulkhead It comprises a plurality of vertical, semi-cylindricalplate units or wall sections I'l, joined together endwise in verticaledge portions it, which as shown may be butt welded. Alternate sectionsH are oriented to face in opposite directions. An even number of suchalternating sections or vertical corrugations are provided.

Secured to the concave or inside surface of each section ii, there areseveral vertically superimposed, horizontally disposed reenforcing barsIQ of rectangular cross-section and of an arcuate shape substantiallycoextensive with that of the section. The vertical spacing of thesereenforcements is equal in the entire bulk head, so that, in the planeof each reenforcing bar I9 there is a chain or system of such bars. Thesystem is substantially coextensive with the horizontal extension of thebulkhead.

The vertical spacing of these reenforcements is preferably proportionedto the downwardly increasing hydrostatic pressure when reenforcements ofuniform strength are used on all levels. Aside from variations due tosuch proportioning and the like, the vertical spacing of horizontalreenforcements l9 and the horizontal diameters of semicylindric'al wallsections I! are preferably of the same order of magnitude, such as aboutthree to eight feet.

The two terminal areas 20 of each arcuate bar is are interconnected by astraight stiffening tie member 2|. By means of reenforcements l9 andstiffeners 2!, each vertical corrugation unit or section ll is maderigid enough to withstand substantial hydrostatic pressure andmechanical stress. The members ll, l9 and 21 can be made substantiallyuniform, regardless of the size of tank it and number of bulkheadcorrugations, so

long as general pressure and stress conditions are comparable.

The inside surfaces of the side walls l2 have secured thereto a numberof superposed reenforcement members 22; each member 22 having a flathorizontal surface lying in the same plane with the flat, horizontalsurface of a bulkhead reenforcing bar l9. The member 22 may consist ofstructural shapes of suitable strength. If the side wall I2, between theends of the bulkhead Il consists of a single semicylindrical element asshown, relatively strong reenforcements 22 are required for this sidewall, in comparison with the reenforcements IQ of the relativelyshort-radius bulkhead sections; both sets of reenforcements beingarranged at uniform vertical spacings, The side-wall reenforcing members22, like the chains of bulkhead reenforcements l9, are substantiallycoextensive with the reenforced wall; but a small section of eachcomplete shell reenforcing ring 22 is cut oif, adjacent each vertical,terminal edge portion 23 of the bulkhead; the cut-01f edges beingsecured to these terminal edges for greater rigidity.

Straight tie bars 24 of rectangular cross-section are horizontallysupported on the fiat top surface of arcuate reenforcing members is and22, being secured to terminal edges l8 of bulkhead sections l1, and toopposite areas 25 of the shell ring 22. The tie bars 24 are shown as eX-tending parallel with one another, thereby simplifying access to theinterior of the tank and the installation of auxiliary equipment such asgauging devices (not shown). The bulkhead ends 26 of all tie bars, andpreferably the entire tie bars 24, extend tangentially of the terminaledges iii of the bulkhead walls l'i. They are secured thereto, as wellas to the adjacent terminal areas 20 of the arcuate bulkheadreenforcements, thereby providing simple but strong and reliable jointsat these ends 25. Preferably the members l1, [9, 2| and 24 are joinedtogether at each intersection of vertical edges [8 and horizontalreenforcem nts l9, by substantially continuous weld seams 27 along thevertical terminal side surfaces of the bars 24 and the horizontal bottomedges supported on the bars IS. The opposite ends 28 of the tie membersdo not, inherently, extend parallel with adjacent wall areas, but can bejointed to the wall with equal simplicity and strength, along thevertical edges of the bars 24 and the horizontal surfaces of the wallreenforcements 22, since these wall reenforcements, as mentioned, aregenerally quite large.

In effect the arcuate reenforcement members 49, 22 and the straight tiemembers 2|, 24 form a horizontal truss, in each plane of reenforcement.The overall strength of the truss and tank structure depends largely onthe strength of the joints (a) between outer terminal tie member areas28, ring areas 25 and adjacent areas of side walls 42, and (12) betweeninner terminal tie member areas 25, reenforcement areas 29, and bulkheadareas it. It will be seen by persons skilled in the art, onconsideration hereof, that the shearing and other stresses which areimportant for these joints can easily be proportioned and controlled,with the design as shown and described. It will also be seen that theconstruction is extremely simple to fabricate and erect. Lower bars 2!and 24 can serve as supports of working platforms for higher shell andbulkhead elements, reenforcement and ties. It is possible in someinstances to prefabricate the horizontal trusses, or panels thereof, andto use them as falsework for the shell plate erection.

The bottom edges of the bulkhead ii (not shown) are generally secured tothe flat bottom H in obvious manner. Instead of specially shaping thetop of the bulkhead, for attachment to the underside of a cone roof, Ifound it preferable in many cases to fabricate all bulkhead sections l1uniformly from rectangular plates, with horizontal, semicircular topedges 29; to secure semicircular plates 30 with their curved edges tothe top edges 29; to secure the bottom edges 3| of the vertical, coneroof supporting partition plates IE to the diametrical edges of theplates 38; and to secure the top edges of the vertical plates I5 to theunderside of the roof l3. In this manner the members l3, l5 and 30 serveas an uppermost set of reenforcements and ties, and a simple tightbulkhead closure is provided.

Various modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art. I claim:

1. In apparatus for the storage of a variety of liquids and the like, ashell; a vertically corrugated, horizontally reenforced bulkhead,separating different parts of the space inside the shell from oneanother, the vertical corrugations consisting in curvatures of thebulkhead alternating facing in opposite directions and havingverticaledge portions which are tangent to one another in adjoiningcorrugations, the horizontal reenforcements substantially consisting ina plurality of vertically spaced sets of horizontally alined rigidmembers longitudinally secured to and horizontally substantiallycoextensive with the concave surfaces of the corrugations, and thevertical spacing of such sets being approximately of the same order ofmagnitude as the diameters of said curvatures; and a set of tie membersfor each set of horizontally alined reenforcement members, the tiemembers of each set comprising straight, elongated bars terminallysecured to the bulkhead adjacent the intersections of horizontalreenforcements and vertical edge portions, interconnecting such edgeportions with opposite portions of the shell, and cooperating with theconnected reenforcement members in forming a substantially horizontaltruss.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bulkhead is formed of aplurality of semicylindrical formed plate units, each unit forming oneof said curvatures and being vertically joined to an adjoining unitalong said edge portions of the respective curvatures, and eachintersection of horizontal reenforcements and vertical edge portions ofthe bulkhead corrugations being formed by the two vertical edgeportions; a horizontally extending arcuate bar forming one of said rigidmembers; and two horizontal, substantially alined straight barssupported by the arcuate bars, tangent on the edge portions, andextending in opposite directions to one another and to the respective,most nearly adjoining bulkhead plate units.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the different members of eachof said horizontal trusses are Welded together; said bulkheadreenforcing bars having horizontal top surfaces, said straight tie barshaving vertical side surfaces, and substantially uninterrupted Weldjoints being formed around the ends of said straight tie bars, alongsaid vertical edge portions and horizontal top surfaces.

. 4. In apparatus for the storage of a variety of liquids and the like,a shell; a plurality of sets of vertically spaced, horizontally alined,sub stantially annular reenforcement members for the shell; a verticallycorrugated, horizontally reenforced bulkhead, separating different partsof the space inside the shell from one another, the verticalcorrugations substantially consisting in semicylindrical curvatures ofthe bulkhead, alternately facing in opposite directions and havingvertical edge portions which are tangent to one another in adjoiningcorrugations, the horizontal reenforcements substantially consisting ina plurality of vertically spaced sets of horizontally alined rigidmembers longitudinally secured to and horizontally substantiallycoextensive with the concave surfaces of the corrugations, and thevertical spacing of such sets of shell and bulkhead reenforcements beingapproximately of the same order of magnitude as the diameters of saidsemicylindrical curvatures; and a set of tie members for each set ofhorizontally alined reenforcement members, the tie members of each setcomprising straight, elongated bars terminally secured to the bulkheadadjacent the intersections of horizontal reenforcements and verticaledge portions, some of said bars horizontally interconnecting such edgeportions with one another and others of said bars being tangent to suchedge portions and parallel with one another and connecting such edgeportions with opposite portions of the shell reenforcements, therebycooperating with the connected reenforoement liquids and the like, asubstantially cylindrical, horizontally reen'forced shell; a, verticallycorrugated, horizontally reenforced bulkhead, ex tending across thespace inside the shell and having vertical edge portions secured to theinside surface of the shell, the vertical corrugations substantiallyconsisting in uniform semicylindrical curvatures of the bulkhead,alternately facing in opposite directions and having vertical edgeportions which are tangent to one another in adjoining corrugations; thehorizontal reenforcements of the shell and bulkhead substantiallyconsisting in a plurality of vertically spaced sets of horizontallyalined rigid members longitudinally secured to and horizontallysubstantially coextensive with the concave surfaces of the shell andbulkhead, and the vertical spacing of such sets being approximately ofthe same order of magnitude as the diameters of said semicylindricalcurvatures; and a set of tie members for each set of horizontally alinedreenforcement members, thetie members of each set comprising straight,elongated, parallel, horizontal bars terminally secured to the bulkheadadjacent the intersections of horizontal reenforcements and verticaledge portions, interconnecting such edge portions with opposite portionsof the shell, and cooperating with the connected reenforcement membersin forming a horizontal truss.

LESTER A. WILKIN.

No references cited.

